


M on His Mind

by sweetiejelly



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 03:09:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2635763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiejelly/pseuds/sweetiejelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru was only ever interested in the hairpin, he swears. Nevertheless, Makoto has gotten the girl's phone number and Haru is not okay with that. </p>
<p>(Or, Haru and Makoto go to a wine tasting and try new things. Makoto maybe, possibly, <i>finally</i> gets ahead of mackerel.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	M on His Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frances_veritas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frances_veritas/gifts).



> Written for frances_veritas' birthday today. Happy, happy birthday, Moey! I started out trying to write a Merthur/Nuke/Makoharu crossover that was a bit too ambitious in the time that I had. So, I abandoned that and tried for just Makoharu here. I hope this little bit is okay and thank you (and Maya) for introducing them to me! (Also, that place that's not this fic where I say your nieces and nephews I totally meant the babies you babysat for and not your nieces and nephews! Ack, sorry about that wrong word use!) Anyway, just thank you for being a light and bringing the light that's these boys into my life too. I didn't get too much of you-ness things in here but there's jealous!Haru sort of, so there's that? Love you and hope you have a wonderful day and year and heck, decade ;) ahead! ♥

Right now Haru's thinking fondly of mackerel. To be fair, that's most of the time. But these tuna rolls are good too, and Makoto looks so happy eating next to him, looks slightly drunk on it really. Not that Haru has ever known Makoto to be drunk. 

Makoto… Makoto would be a happy drunk, he thinks, the way Makoto's a happy sober. But a drunk Makoto, Haru imagines, would press closer, hold his hand longer, and perhaps... perhaps nuzzle his neck. 

"Haru?" 

Haru blinks. 

"Eh… Haru, are you blushing?" 

Haru stuffs another piece of tuna roll in his mouth and chews. It looks like he would have to stop thinking about a drunk Makoto and what he might or might not do. 

"Oh," Makoto giggles in that sweet way he has. "It's that girl from earlier, right?" 

Haru blinks. He has no idea what Makoto's talking about. What girl? 

"Don't worry. You're allowed other interests besides swimming." Motoko nudges his side. "I know you liked her hairpin." 

Oh, _that_ girl. Haru only noticed the pin really. "It was a dolphin," he says. 

Makoto smiles and inclines his head. "Mm." 

Haru thinks about pinning Makoto's long bangs back. With his fingers. Pressed just so. There would be pronounced breathing, a pause, that electric waiting before the plunge. "Makoto, have you ever had sake?" Haru asks before he loses his nerve. 

Makoto stares at him. "Sake? But Haru, we're not legal yet." 

"No." Haru chews his tuna roll almost viciously. He has no idea what that earlier moment of insanity was. He should have never brought it up. Makoto's cheeks are a fetching color right now without any alcohol. It would be so much worse when he's drunk. 

"Haru," Motoko's tone is softer now, more hushed. "I'm sure we can find some, if you really want to try." And then his eyes are capsized boats above the blush and Haru is so screwed. 

~~ 

They don't talk about it again for weeks, both of them busy with coursework and practice and trying to catch up on sleep. 

Then Rin calls. All the way from Australia. Through Skype. Makoto yells "Haru!" so loud that Haru thinks there's a murder in progress. He springs from the tub without a thought. 

Or a towel. 

He's dripping all over the floor when he makes it to a very alive Makoto who turns a very bright color. 

"Ha! Finally! I knew you two would get there one day." Rin's voice startles Haru out of his daze. (It's just that red's quite a good color on Makoto.) 

"Huh?" 

Makoto covers the webcam lens on his laptop with a thumb. 

"Protective boyfriend already, Makoto? Please, it's nothing I haven't seen before." 

Makoto covers his eyes with his free hand. "Rin, stop talking." 

"What? Already? You want me to stop talking _already_? Don't tell me you haven't missed me. You've missed me, right? _Right_?" Rin strikes a pose like the ham that he is. 

Haru actually has missed him, as he has missed all of his friends. 

It's Makoto who answers though. "Of course we do! Don't we, Haru? We were just talking the other day about how - Haru! You're still nude!" 

Rin's laugh rings out loud and raucous. Haru sighs and turns around to grab a towel. 

Makoto looks him in the eyes after that as they talk to Rin, though his blush never quite fades. 

Rin's the one to bring up alcohol. "Never before a meet, of course. But once in a wild party or two, you know? It's an integral part of the university experience." 

Makoto and Haru look at each other at that, and Makoto smiles that soft smile he reserves for Haru (and kittens and children). 

"My favorites are- Oie, you two! Get a room!" 

They both ignore the comment to glare at Rin. 

~~ 

It's two weeks later that Makoto lays down a festive sheet on the floor in front of Haru. "Look, Haru! You want to go?" 

It's a flyer advertising a wine tasting at the new restaurant down the street. "All are welcome!" the flyer promises. 

"Okay." 

~~ 

Haru is more nervous than he would like to admit. It's like the adrenaline he gets before a competition. Only, it's worse. 

Makoto's in that checkered red shirt that's his favorite (that's Haru's favorite too) and Haru's heart beats like a fish out of water, frantic. 

There are other people around, many of them their age or just a little older. Haru is paying them no mind. That is, until Makoto bends to whisper in his ear. "Haru! Don't look but by the door is that girl from the other day, the one with the hairpin." 

Of course Haru looks. "She doesn't have the dolphin pin anymore." 

"No, it's a pineapple today. Do you… want to go say hello?" 

Haru really doesn't. "No." 

Makoto looks like he's about to say something but then he just ducks his head and smiles. "Okay. You want to start the tasting?" 

Haru nods and resolutely does not look up at Makoto. 

They make their way, one by one, through the stations. All of the wines taste equally awful. Haru is regretting the decision to come, to drag Makoto along with him. Makoto isn't saying anything besides thank you, which Haru does not parrot. 

At the last station though is a fruity something. Haru doesn't hate it. Makoto picks up on it the way Makoto picks up on almost everything Haru's thinking. "Want another cup?" 

The cups are thimble-sized, so Haru accepts another and drinks. He does parrot Makoto's thank you this time because he can mean it. 

As they leave, Makoto turns to him bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked and asks, "So, what do you think?" 

Haru lifts a shoulder. "The last one is not bad." He graciously doesn't say anything about the five different girls who tried to brush their hands along Makoto's as he accepted their samples. 

"That one's my favorite, too." Makoto giggles. 

"Are you drunk?" Haru doesn't mean to blurt that out, but well. 

Makoto thinks about it, his expression going serious like Rei's when he's calculating angles and acceleration in his head. "No? But maybe a little tipsy. You?" 

Haru feels a little more than tipsy. He has to be. Because the next words out of his mouth are, "Makoto, do you think you will date girls?" 

Makoto giggles. Haru just knew it! Makoto _is_ a happy drunk. "When? I barely have time to hang out with you, Haru! And I like hanging out with you." 

"Like tonight?" 

Makoto smiles. "Mm. Like tonight." And Makoto bumps his hand against Haru's and squeezes. And doesn't let go. 

Haru grips his hand back. "Me too. I like the water, mackerel, and you." It feels like a confession, but it feels so easy to say, like the truth it is. 

Makoto laughs and mock sighs. "Behind mackerel. Always behind the mackerel." 

"I love mackerel." Haru looks straight ahead and doesn't try to look at Makoto out of the corner of his eyes at all. 

Makoto squeezes his hand and giggles. "I know." If he leans a little heavier against Haru the rest of the way back to their dorm, well, the warmth squeezing around Haru's heart is his alone to know. 

~~ 

The next morning Haru wakes to a wide-awake Makoto sitting at the edge of his bed. 

"Good morning, Haru." Makoto smiles at him mildly and offers him tea. 

Haru accepts the cup. It's still warm. Makoto does take such good care of him. "Thank you." 

"Mm." Makoto take a sip from his own cup. "I think I like tea better than wine," he admits. 

Haru nods. "Sorry." 

Makoto's hand shoot out instantly. "No! That's not what I meant. I had fun with you last night at the tasting. It was… interesting." 

Haru's eyes widen before he cast them down to his cup. He doesn't know what interesting means. Makoto is his best friend and always will be. He doesn't want to make things… not friendly. "What was interesting?" 

"Eh?" Makoto blinks. "Oh, just…" Makoto trails off as he thinks. "Haru, can we talk?" 

Haru looks up, blinks, and gives a little nod. 

"Do you want to date?" Makoto blurts. "I mean - last night you asked me if I wanted to date girls. Did you mean _you_ wanted to date girls? And if you wanted to talk to Keiko, the girl with the pin - I got her number for you, if you wanted." 

"What." Haru doesn't even know when Makoto got the number from that girl. Maybe when he was in the washroom gurgling out the taste of the first five stations' worth of alcohol? And why would Keiko give him her number anyway? Probably she was just hitting on Makoto and Makoto didn't even know it. 

Makoto blinks back at him. "What what?" 

" _You_ date her. She obviously liked you." Haru fumes. 

Makoto leans back like Haru slapped him. " _Haru_." 

Haru instantly feels remorseful. He's already leaning forward to grip Makoto's arm when Makoto steps away. "I have to finish my paper." 

Haru lets his arm drop. 

~~ 

At the pool, Haru swims his fastest time so far. His coach is ecstatic. "Whatever you're doing, Haruka, keep doing it!" 

Haru barely hears him. His thoughts swim full of Makoto and _Keiko_ , though all he can remember about her is the stupid blue pin. 

~~ 

Makoto corners him at home as soon as he steps in the door. 

"I don't want to date her!" Makoto's face is flustered-cute and his leaning over Haru is doing something to Haru's blood, making it heat all over. 

"Okay." I don't want you to date her either, he doesn't say. 

Makoto takes a deep breath. "Okay. And if anyone, I'd want to date you." 

Haru stops breathing. He's pretty sure he stops breathing. He could hold his breath really well though, so it's not so different from being underwater. Except there's no water, just the green of Makoto's eyes floating before his. 

"Okay." _Yes!_ Take that, Keiko, he doesn't say. 

Makoto tilts his head to the side, as if asking a question. "Haru…?" 

"Yes," Haru says out loud. 

Makoto takes a half step back, running a hand over the back of his neck, shy all of a sudden. "I thought you would say we already live together." 

"But we have separate beds." 

Makoto's cheeks turn red so fast this time that even his ears are tinted red. It's like an artist dipped a paintbrush in Adorable-Red and applied it liberally across Makoto's face. 

Haru couldn't help reaching up, touching, just his right hand cupping Makoto's left cheek. It feels right, especially when Makoto leans into it, warm, so warm. Haru slides his hand down to cup Makoto's neck. It takes him back to the beach, to when Makoto wasn't breathing and Haru wanted nothing more than to breathe for him but felt like he would be taking advantage to set his lips upon his friend's. 

Now his heart's thundering for another reason - that his friend might want him to. 

Makoto leans down as Haru leans up and their noses bump because of course they do. But Makoto just drags his nose along Haru's, nuzzling his face. Haru was right. He likes this. He likes this a lot, even if he's only breathing the same air as Makoto, their lips hovering but still apart. 

"Haru," Makoto says quietly the way he says Haru's name sometimes, like it's an affirmation. 

It's all Haru needs to close the distance between them. Makoto's lips are softer than he expected, but then Makoto slides into Haru's space a little better and Makoto's lips are magic. They are more magic than the sights Haru sees underwater when he's swimming sometimes. 

Makoto's hands too, the way they grip firmly onto Haru's hips - magic. Hot, hot magic. Haru melts into them easily, knows that Makoto's got him. Makoto's always got him. 

~~ 

Haru isn't sure how long they stand there by the door, kissing. His bag's on the floor and his shoes are still on and he doesn't care. 

Slowly, deliberately, he pins Makoto's bangs back, away from his pretty eyes, and looks his fill. 

Makoto regards him quietly, confidently, like he knows Haru will never hurt him. And Haru never will, he vows it. He will take care of this carer of cats, this carer of children, his best friend. 

"Are you hungry?" Haru asks as he slips a hand down to hold Makoto's. "I can make some mackerel." 

~~ 

True to Makoto's words, they date, as their schedules allow. It's not much different from before, except now there's holding hands and kissing and neck nuzzling. 

One night they fall asleep on Makoto's bed where they were studying. Haru wakes to Makoto's arms around his waist, and he thinks being the little spoon suits him just fine. Then Makoto runs a hand slowly up Haru's arm, leaving goosebumps trailing behind his touch, and Haru thinks fine is an inadequate word. "Okay?" 

Haru nods and slips his hand into Makoto's. Makoto smiles against his neck, and kisses down the slope of his shoulder, and Haru wishes he wasn't wearing a shirt. 

He must have wished out loud. 

"You have practice." Makoto reminds him. "We can take off our shirts tonight?" 

~~ 

Haru swims a personal best again. His coach gives him two thumbs up and a whole lot of encouragement-type words. 

Haru hears none of it. He's thinking so hard about being in bed with Makoto, shirtless. 

~~ 

Makoto comes home late and flushed. He starts talking as he takes off his shoes by the door. "Sorry, Haru. I was talking to Nagisa. And you know Nagisa. He doesn't stop talking once he gets started and-" 

"You can stop talking, too." Haru's so worked up from a whole day of yearning. Longer really, if he's honest. He grabs Makoto by his shirt collar and unceremoniously tugs him down to a kiss. 

"Mm-!" Makoto moans into his mouth and Haru, Haru really likes that. He backs Makoto up against the wall and presses his whole body flush against Makoto's. He moans back when Makoto grabs him by his hips and presses them closer. 

"Shirts off?" Haru slides his hands down Makoto's chest and hooks his thumbs in Makoto's pants. 

Makoto flushes but nods emphatically and starts unbuttoning from the top. Haru helps him, unbuttoning from the bottom, his fingers wobbly with how eager he is, has been. When their hands meet around Makoto's belly button, Makoto wraps his hand around Haru's, a silent _it's okay_ , and Haru stops shaking. 

Outwardly anyway. 

He leans up and kisses Makoto again as they both work to tug Makoto free of his shirt. Then Haru's shirt's gone, too, and they're embracing. It's all at once familiar and Earth-shatteringly different. 

They're not flanked by two other boys on their team. They're not in swimwear. There isn't an audience. There's no one, no one here but the two of them. 

Haru tracks Makoto's throat as he swallows audibly. "Makoto," he says and Makoto understands him exactly. 

"Haru." Makoto hitches up Haru's legs around his waist and Haru's breath hitches. Makoto's arms are a work of art. After all, he wasn't the backstroke swimmer on their relay team for nothing. They circle around Haru and the front room disappears. 

Boom, they're in the bedroom! 

Makoto sets Haru down on his comforter and leans over, kisses Haru into his bed, and Haru is so on board with this plan. He hooks his legs around Makoto again, rubbing them together in a way that he's only dreamed about (and woken up feeling guilty about). 

He feels no guilt right now. Zero guilt. Makoto is grinding back against him and sucking harder on his lower lip. He's kissing his way down Haru's neck, and Haru's seeing new sights for sure - like the arch of Makoto's back as he pants into the hollow of Haru's neck. Makoto's beautiful and strong, everything that Haru's ever wanted in his arms. 

He slides his hands down Makoto's back, fingers mapping the hot planes and curves, the dip of the spine. There's a small mole near the waist, a tiny, itsy-bitsy one that Haru's stared at before in the showers. Haru runs a finger over it now, around it, lets this small imperfection ground him to this moment. This is Makoto. This is his best friend. 

Makoto squirms against him. "Ticklish," he huffs, and his breath on Haru's neck in turn tickles Haru. 

They're grinning at each other and it's like game night over at the Tachibana's, except there are no twins with their tiny limbs crawling over them and no parents in the next room watching TV. 

Makoto ducks down and hides his face in Haru's neck. "How do you want-? Nagisa said there are so many ways and I- I want you to like-" 

Haru startles. So that's what Makoto was talking to Nagisa about. "Shh." He turns them over, straddles Makoto and kisses him hard, all tongue and intent, hands tugging at the ends of Makoto's hair in the way that makes Makoto harder, hotter against him. "Say 'ocean' if you want me to stop." 

Makoto stares at him and nods dumbly. It's enough to make Haru smirk. He touches Makoto, pets down his neck, his impressive shoulders and pecs, and runs his thumbs around the two stiff peaks on Makoto's chest, making him squirm up, seeking friction. Haru obliges him easily, riding him back and making him pant, little sounds that bounce off the walls in their little room. 

When Haru reaches the belt, he leans down to trace the path his hands took with his mouth, tongue lapping, teeth lightly nipping, lips smoothing it all. 

"Haru, I'm going to-" Makoto bites off the word, embarrassed. 

"Come?" Haru rubs his palm along the tent in Makoto's pants. 

"Haru!" Makoto arches up and grabs Haru's hand. "Pants!" 

Haru's an expert at divesting of pants. So he does, pulls both of their pants off and lines them up, grinding down onto Makoto like he can't help it. (He can't.) 

"Ha-Haru." Makoto shudders under him as their wet spots rub together. 

Haru is mesmerized watching their bodies slide together. He peels their briefs back just enough for their slick-wet skin to touch. It feels a thousand times better than jerking off alone, just thinking of Makoto. 

Makoto fits his large hand over both of them and pulls, and Haru is going to deny his Nagisa-worthy squeal of a noise for all of eternity, but holy moly, does that feel good! Makoto bites his lip and keeps stroking them, doing more of everything that drives Haru crazy. (And everything drives Haru crazy.) They work up a perfect rhythm of good-good-better, good-good-better, good-gods-so good until-until Haru just can't anymore, until better spills to best-best-best. He cries out and comes, helpless in Makoto's hand. 

Makoto spurts all over them just as Haru's caught his breath. And Makoto's face - Haru loves it. Haru's always loved it, he realizes. 

He squishes the mess between their bodies into a messier mess between their bodies as he leans down and kisses Makoto slow and sweet. "Do you like it?" 

Makoto's eyes are half-mast and all-earnest. "I love it." 

Haru smiles down at him and touches their foreheads together. "I love you." 

Makoto wraps his arms around Haru and smiles into his neck. "Haru," he says, the way he always said his I-love-yous. Only, this time, he adds the words themselves out loud. 

Haru smiles and smiles, doesn't think he can wipe this smile off his face anytime soon. At this moment, he is definitely not thinking of mackerel. At this moment, Haru is only thinking of Makoto and the many, many things they can do together. The night is young yet. 


End file.
